St. Petersburg Shore Excursion: One Day Highlights Tour

Shore Excursions > Ports of Call Tours > Ports of Call Tours

Description

This group tour will introduce you to the northern capital of Russia. You will see all the main highlights of St. Petersburg including the Hermitage (closed on Mondays), summer tsar residences - Catherine Palace (closed on Tuesdays) and Peterhof Fountain park. Another attraction that cannot be missed is the Church on the Spilled Blood, the largest museum of mosaics in Europe (closed on Wednesdays). You will get to know St. Petersburg through the eyes of our professional guide who will tell you about past and present of St. Petersburg, most fascinating facts from Soviet history and revolutionary time of 1917, some unusual stories about the royal family. You will also get to know more about the modern life in Russia including transportation, housing, educational system, health care system, family life. Packed lunch is included. Please, note that the itinerary varies depending on the day of the week according to museums days off.

7:30-8:00 am Meet your guide near your ship (please, note the time of the beginning of the tour is given approximately and will be adjusted depending on your ship arrival time)

8:00-9:30 am City tour: driving and photo stops in the most beautiful, historical places in St Petersburg. Your guide will tell you different stories and legends about famous palaces and architectural ensembles. You will see: Nevsky prospect (the main street in St Petersburg), National Library, Kazan Cathedral, the Square of Arts, Russian Museum, Ethnographical Museum, Michael’s Castle, Summer Gardens of Peter the Great, the log cabin of Peter the Great, Aurora Battleship, the Spit of Basil Island, The State St Petersburg University, the Monument of Peter the Great, Admiralty, Theatre Square with famous Mariinsky Theatre, St Nicholas Cathedral.

9:30-11:30 am Guided tour of the State Hermitage (early admission, before the official working hours). (The Hermitage is closed on Mondays.) On Mondays, it is substituted for Yusupov palace.

12:00-12:30 pm Drive to Petergof

12:30-2:30 pm Stroll along the Fountain park. Enjoy a packed lunch. Peterhof, "Russian Versailles" - is a jewel of the Russian art, a town of parks, palaces and fountains which is very often compared with French Versailles. But don't believe those who state this: our Peterhof is much better!

2:30-3:15 pm Drive to Pushkin (with a subway ride on the way, if time permits)

3:30-4:30 pm Guided Tour of Catherine Palace with Amber Room**. (Catherine Palace is closed on Tuesdays, on Tuesdays it is substituted for one of the small palaces in Peterhof (Mon Plaisir or Bath Block)). Catherine palace (with famous Amber Room) a former country residence of Russian emperors — is a fascinating monument of the world's architectural and gardening arts of the 18–19 centuries. The compositional center of the Tsarskoselsky ensemble is Catherine's Palace with its world-famous Amber Room.

4:30-5:30 pm Drive back to the city

5:30-6:00 pm Guided tour of the Church on Spilt Blood. (The Church on Spilt Blood is closed on Wednesdays, on Wednesdays the Church on the Spilled Blood is substituted for Peter and Paul Cathedral.)

6:30 pm Return to the ship

*Please note that the itinerary may be subject to change depending on traffic and museum availability.

** Please note that if your ship leaves earlier than 8 pm we must exclude the Catherine Palace and the subway ride to get you back on the ship on time. We are happy to offer you a $15 discount per person in this case.

In order to minimize the flow of tourists inside the museum, the Hermitage authorities reserve the right to adjust the entrance time slot

Hydrofoil ride is included only if your cruise ship leaves ealier than 8 pm

This group tour will introduce you to the northern capital of Russia. You will see all the main highlights of St. Petersburg including the Hermitage (closed on Mondays), summer tsar residences - Catherine Palace (closed on Tuesdays) and Peterhof Fountain park. Another attraction that cannot be missed is the Church on the Spilled Blood, the largest museum of mosaics in Europe (closed on Wednesdays). You will get to know St. Petersburg through the eyes of our professional guide who will tell you about past and present of St. Petersburg, most fascinating facts from Soviet history and revolutionary time of 1917, some unusual stories about the royal family. You will also get to know more about the modern life in Russia including transportation, housing, educational system, health care system, family life. Packed lunch is included. Please, note that the itinerary varies depending on the day of the week according to museums days off.